Bill > HB693

This bill modifies existing law regarding how multijudge districts (judicial districts with more than one judge) organize their court operations, specifically adding provisions for specialized dockets. Under the revised law, in judicial districts with more than five judges, judges will now have explicit authority to create rules implementing specialized dockets among their court departments. The bill maintains existing requirements that judges divide the court into numbered departments, prescribe the order of business, and apportion court business as equally as possible among themselves. If judges fail to make these assignments, the state supreme court can intervene and make an order assigning judges to departments and apportioning work. The bill clarifies that a judge's failure to comply with such a supreme court order could be considered contempt of court. The primary purpose appears to be providing more structured flexibility for larger judicial districts to manage their caseloads by allowing specialized docket assignments while maintaining clear organizational guidelines.

Justice

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC3426